A crafty but ultimately empty action film.
The opening scene of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is the best example of foreshadowing in a film as any I can remember. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is still a brilliant master of disguise, expert martial artist, capable of conjuring amazingly accurate premonitions of future events and able to seemingly slow down time through momentary meditation. He's still a ladies man, quick-witted and proficient with the nearly impossible—that said, he is absolutely nothing like the Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Dole. However, since this is a sequel to a highly popular 2009 film, audiences already know what’s in store for them, for the most part. In that respect, A Game of Shadows is just arguably more entertaining than its predecessor.
The mess of a plot centers around Holmes' most well known villain, Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), and his attempt to start a World War and then profit greatly with his armory of available weapons. Moriarty is killing off heads of state and captains of industry. Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) and Holmes make the connection between this “Napoleon of Crime” and a conflict that could start a war between France and Germany. Moriarty is an intellectual equal to the good Sherlock Holmes, but he isn’t really all that menacing as a villain.
There is no doubt that director Guy Richie knows how to stage an action sequence, but he seems to drag out many of the scenes in this longer-than-it-needed-to-be sequel (the running time stands at two hours and eight minutes). The film is also hurt by its constant use of slow motion in virtually every action sequence. It does work surprisingly well for the film's centerpiece scene involving a foot chase through a forest, but it begins to feel like overkill in almost every other instance. While the audience understands from the first film that Holmes likes to evaluate the moves of both his adversaries and himself before he makes them, watching him plot drags the film out longer than it needs to be.
The movie has many positive things going for it, which makes up for the confusing plot. The sets are elaborate, and the action scenes are engaging, violent and adrenaline-fueled with quick speed editing and bullet time shots. The witty banter and chemistry between Holmes and Jude Law's charming Watson are impeccable. However, the story itself is the film's biggest problem. Too many characters are introduced, and because the focus is placed upon the slightly witty homoerotic undertones of Holmes and Watson and the massive amount of action pieces, the film lacks a true emotive core. The script is empty, unnecessarily loud and flashy.
But despite all of the negatives ... it's still a fun ride. Both Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have been in better films before, but they seem to be having the time of their lives acting in this one, and it overflows into the audience. There are plenty of laughs, excitement and an appealing cast with magnetic chemistry. Though ultimately an empty action film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, like its hero, is very crafty.
